‘Ndebele kingship revival remains pipedream’

SELF STYLED KING Munhumutapa, born Timothy Chiminya, says the revival of the Ndebele Kingship will remain a pipedream as long as claimants to the throne remain divided.

The Ndebele kingship has had several claimants in recent years.

These include Stanley Raphael Khumalo Tshuma, Peter Zwide Khumalo, Mcijwana Khumalo and Bulelani Khumalo.

Mzilikazi was the founding father and first King of the Ndebele State when he left Nguniland after rebelling against King Shaka around 1826.

King Mzilikazi Khumalo died in September 1868.

Lobengula was crowned as the Ndebele king after the death of Mzilikazi.

It is believed that Lobengula died in 1894.

Lobengula was the last Ndebele King.

There have been several attempts towards the revival of the Ndebele Kingship, but the government has said Zimbabwe is not a monarch.

Self-styled King Munhumutapa claims he was reinstated as the paramount king by the High Court on September 30, 2022 under case number 398/22.

Since then, he has been going around claiming to be King Munhumutapa and in March this year he installed Julius Chimbi Chigegwe as Chief Chirumanzu.

His spokesperson Chief Bekezela Bhekimpi Nyathi said the claimants to the Ndebele Kingship must unite, as well as consult him on the way forward.

“The way forward lies in Inkatho, a sacred ceremony to identify the rightful ruler,” he said.

“You cannot conduct this ritual alone or yourselves; seek the Rozvi (Munhumutapa) clan’s assistance or mine, as a neutral spiritual leader (imhondolo) to help you.

“Only through Inkatho can one be spiritually chosen and recognized as a true Ndebele King.”

“A divided house is a broken one, threatening national stability and security. The Khumalos must rectify this urgently. Inkatho is the only way.”

However, the claimants to the Ndebele Kingship said they will not consult the self-styled King Munhumutapa.

“We do not have time for him, we do not want to waste our energy on what he said,” Bulelani’s spokesperson Bornman Khumalo said.

“In any case, in any Kingship there are disputes…we live in South Africa where in KwaZulu Natal there is a dispute but the King is Misizulu KaZwelithini.

“Even with us they can dispute that but the King is Bulelani Lobengula KaMzilikazi; that does not change. The rest will join us later.”

Exiled former Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni also said they did not recognise Munhumutapas office.

“The whole thing is purely fiction,” he said.

“Big institutions are joining us and the question is what is our government doing, will it continue to block ears and not speak or resolve the issue?”